Famous People Who Died of Natural Causes
- Katharine Hepburn, born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1907, was a legendary American actress known for her fierce independence and spirited personality. She was the second of six children to a successful urologist father and a feminist campaigner mother. Her upbringing was unconventional for the time, as both her parents emphasized intellectual development and encouraged self-thinking. Hepburn's acting career spanned over six decades, during which she won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, a record till date. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College, she began her stage career before moving to Hollywood in the 1930s. Her first major film role was in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), after which she played strong-willed, sophisticated women in a series of films such as Little Women (1933) and Morning Glory (1933), the latter earning her the first of her four Oscars. Despite experiencing a downturn in her career during the mid-1940s, Hepburn achieved a remarkable comeback with a string of hit films including The African Queen (1951), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981). Her off-screen life was as colorful as her on-screen one, with a long-term relationship with actor Spencer Tracy that lasted until his death in 1967. Katharine Hepburn passed away in 2003 at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking performances and a fearless approach to life and work.
- Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
- Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna, Austria, was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who left a significant mark on both the entertainment and scientific communities. She began her acting career in Europe in the early 1930s, but it was her move to Hollywood in 1937 that propelled her to international stardom. Known for her striking beauty and charisma, Lamarr starred in numerous successful films across the '40s and '50s, such as Algiers, Samson and Delilah, and Ecstasy. Her performances were lauded for their depth and nuance, and she quickly became one of the most popular actresses of her time. However, Lamarr's contributions extended beyond the silver screen. Possessing a keen interest in applied sciences and technology, she co-invented an early version of spread spectrum communication, specifically frequency-hopping, during World War II. This invention, initially designed to prevent jamming of Allied torpedoes, would later lay the groundwork for modern technologies like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Despite the significance of her contribution, Lamarr's work in this field remained largely unrecognized during her lifetime. Lamarr's life was not without controversy. She faced several legal issues and her six marriages garnered significant media attention. Regardless, her legacy as both a pioneering actress and inventor has endured. She was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014, a testament to her lasting impact. Hedy Lamarr's story is a fascinating tale of talent, beauty, and brilliance, a woman who defied the norms of her time to leave a lasting imprint on two very different industries.
- Birthplace: Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Hedy Lamarr Movies List, RankedSee all
- 1Samson and Delilah77 Votes
- 2Algiers68 Votes
- 3Ziegfeld Girl50 Votes
- Phyllis Ada Diller (July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American actress and stand-up comedian, best known for her eccentric stage persona, her self-deprecating humor, her wild hair and clothes, and her exaggerated, cackling laugh. Diller was a groundbreaking stand-up comic—one of the first female comics to become a household name in the U.S. She paved the way for Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr, and Ellen DeGeneres, among others, who credit her influence. Diller had a large gay following and is considered a gay icon. She was also one of the first celebrities to openly champion plastic surgery, for which she was recognized by the industry.Diller worked in more than 40 films, beginning with 1961's Splendor in the Grass. She appeared in many television series, often in cameos, but also including her own short-lived sitcom and variety show. Some of her credits are Night Gallery, The Muppet Show, The Love Boat, Cybill, and Boston Legal, plus eleven seasons of The Bold and the Beautiful. Her voice-acting roles included the monster's wife in Mad Monster Party, the Queen in A Bug's Life, Granny Neutron in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and Thelma Griffin in Family Guy.
- Birthplace: Lima, Ohio, USA
- Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, was made famous by Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life, and its adaptations for film and stage, The Miracle Worker. Her birthplace in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, is now a museum and sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day". Her June 27 birthday is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in Pennsylvania and, in the centenary year of her birth, was recognized by a presidential proclamation from Jimmy Carter. A prolific author, Keller was well-traveled and outspoken in her convictions. A member of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, she campaigned for women's suffrage, labor rights, socialism, antimilitarism, and other similar causes. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1971 and was one of twelve inaugural inductees to the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame on June 8, 2015.
- Birthplace: Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA
- Jane Wyman, an iconic figure in the world of American cinema, was an actress known for her impressive versatility and dramatic prowess. She was born Sarah Jane Mayfield on January 5, 1917, in St. Joseph, Missouri. An only child, Wyman was adopted by family friends after the untimely death of her parents. Her journey into the world of showbusiness began in Hollywood in the 1930s, where she initially played minor roles, but her talent was soon recognized and she landed leading roles, carving a niche for herself in the industry. Wyman's dedication to her craft was evident through her choice of challenging roles and her ability to deliver breathtaking performances. In 1948, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as a deaf-mute rape victim in Johnny Belinda, a performance that spoke volumes of her acting skills despite the lack of dialogue. She was also nominated for the same award for her performances in The Yearling (1946), The Blue Veil (1951), and Magnificent Obsession (1954). Apart from her flourishing film career, Wyman also made a significant impact on the television industry. She starred in the popular television series Falcon Crest from 1981 to 1990, portraying the formidable winery owner Angela Channing. Despite several personal setbacks, including her much-publicized divorce from future President Ronald Reagan, Wyman remained dedicated to her art until her retirement in the late 1990s. Jane Wyman passed away on September 10, 2007, leaving behind a storied career and a legacy as one of the most accomplished actresses of her time.
- Birthplace: St. Joseph, Missouri, USA
The 40 Best Jane Wyman MoviesSee all- 1A Kiss in the Dark5 Votes
- 2All That Heaven Allows39 Votes
- 3Miracle in the Rain20 Votes
- Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has called her "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks rejected bus driver James F. Blake's order to relinquish her seat in the "colored section" to a white passenger, after the whites-only section was filled. Parks was not the first person to resist bus segregation, but the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) believed that she was the best candidate for seeing through a court challenge after her arrest for civil disobedience in violating Alabama segregation laws. Parks' prominence in the community and her willingness to become a controversial figure inspired the black community to boycott the Montgomery buses for over a year, the first major direct action campaign of the post-war civil rights movement. Her case became bogged down in the state courts, but the federal Montgomery bus lawsuit Browder v. Gayle succeeded in November 1956.Parks' act of defiance and the Montgomery bus boycott became important symbols of the movement. She became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. She organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including Edgar Nixon, president of the local chapter of the NAACP; and Martin Luther King, Jr., a new minister in Montgomery who gained national prominence in the civil rights movement and went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, Parks was secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. She had recently attended the Highlander Folk School, a Tennessee center for training activists for workers' rights and racial equality. She acted as a private citizen "tired of giving in". Although widely honored in later years, she also suffered for her act; she was fired from her job as a seamstress in a local department store, and received death threats for years afterwards.Shortly after the boycott, she moved to Detroit, where she briefly found similar work. From 1965 to 1988 she served as secretary and receptionist to John Conyers, an African-American US Representative. She was also active in the Black Power movement and the support of political prisoners in the US. After retirement, Parks wrote her autobiography and continued to insist that the struggle for justice was not over and there was more work to be done. In her final years, she suffered from dementia. Parks received national recognition, including the NAACP's 1979 Spingarn Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and a posthumous statue in the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall. Upon her death in 2005, she was the first woman to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, becoming the third of only four Americans to ever receive this honor. California and Missouri commemorate Rosa Parks Day on her birthday February 4, while Ohio and Oregon commemorate the occasion on the anniversary of the day she was arrested, December 1.
- Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama, USA
- One of the best-selling authors of all time, English writer Agatha Christie, a Dame of the Order of the British Empire, had a long and illustrious career penning murder mysteries and other crime fiction in the form of novels, short stories, and plays. Born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller in the seaside town of Torquay, she married Archibald Christie (though they later divorced) and published her first novel in 1920. Given Christie's immense popularity as a writer, it didn't take long before filmed adaptations of her work began to surface, but these televised and cinematic interpretations didn't appear in earnest until the 1950s. Among the many fine movie adaptations of Christie's prose are Billy Wilder's "Witness for the Prosecution" and Sidney Lumet's "Murder on the Orient Express," and, in the realm of TV, few would argue that actor David Suchet's take on her beloved character Hercule Poirot is one of the best ever committed to screen. Decades after Christie's death in 1976, filmed versions of her writing continue to spring up almost annually in a time-honored tradition that is not likely to change.
- Birthplace: Torquay, Devon, England, UK
The Best Movies Based on Agatha Christie StoriesSee all- 1Agatha Christie's Poirot275 Votes
- 2Murder on the Orient Express238 Votes
- 3Death on the Nile230 Votes
- Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. (born F.E. Parker; August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010), was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1954–1955 TV miniseries, which aired on ABC, and as Daniel Boone in an NBC television series from 1964 to 1970. He was also known as a winemaker and resort owner-operator.
- Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Andrew James Breitbart (; February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012) was an American conservative publisher, writer and commentator. After helping in the early stages of The Huffington Post and the Drudge Report, Breitbart created Breitbart News, a news and right-wing opinion website, along with multiple other "BIG" sites - BIGHollywood, BIGGovernment, BIGJournalism. He played central roles in the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal, the firing of Shirley Sherrod, and the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy. Commenters such as Nick Gillespie and Conor Friedersdorf have credited Breitbart with changing how people wrote about politics by "show[ing] how the Internet could be used to route around information bottlenecks imposed by official spokesmen and legacy news outlets" and "wield[ing] a rhetorical flamethrower in the culture wars" by using his own personal experiences and opinions as the basis for his media career.
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, USA, California
- Gripped in the giant hand of "King Kong" (1933) in a simulated New York City on the RKO backlot, Fay Wray emitted screams of terror that reverberated throughout a nation stunned by the Great Depression. By the time the Canadian native was cast in the role of Ann Darrow, human inamorata of the eighth Wonder of the World, Wray was already a successful Hollywood actress whose previous leading men included William Powell, Gary Cooper and Fredric March. Although she had retired in 1942, the death of her second husband, screenwriter Robert Riskin, drove the actress back to work in character parts, including a comedic turn as an affluent hypochondriac in "Tammy and the Bachelor" (1957). An iconic figure in cult film circles, Wray eventually turned her back on performing to enjoy frequent public appearances as herself. Living well into her nineties, Wray turned down the offer to contribute a cameo appearance to director Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of "King Kong" shortly before her death from natural causes in late 2004. Though she appeared in all manner of movies, from dramas and comedies to horror films and the early Westerns in which she had performed her own stunts, Fay Wray would be remembered principally for her most famous role, as well as for the honor of being cinema's first bona fide scream queen.
- Birthplace: Cardston, Alberta, Canada
- One of the most popular child actors in Hollywood history, Jackie Cooper won moviegoers' hearts as the adorable lead in such classic melodramas as "The Champ" (1931) and "Treasure Island" (1934). Unlike many of his fellow juvenile players, he enjoyed a bountiful career as an adult in both the acting and directing fields. Cooper was a box office draw as a boy thanks to his All-American looks and ability to produce gallons of tears upon command. He returned to the business in his thirties as an in-demand player on television. Directing for shortform TV became a second career in the 1960s, as did a stint as an executive for Screen Gems; he divided his time between acting gigs in films like "Superman: The Movie" (1978) with directing and producing assignments until the late 1980s. Cooper's trove of family films from his child days, and his vast body of work as an adult, made him one of the longest-running success stories in Hollywood.
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- A postal worker by day, Sherman Hemsley studied acting at night until eventually landing the chance to show off his talents on the Broadway stage. Producer Norman Lear caught one of his performances and immediately tapped him to play the irascible George Jefferson on "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971-79) and "The Jeffersons" (CBS, 1975-1985). Hemsley's high-voltage performance, which earned him several award nominations, was popular with television audiences. Subsequent TV series included "Amen" (NBC, 1986-1991) and "Goode Behavior" (UPN, 1996-97), as well as countless TV guest spots. By the late 1990s, he was making regular appearances in commercials and promotions with his former "Jeffersons" TV wife Isabel Sanford, as well as in a play based on the series. There was no denying his impact as a man who broke boundaries as an African-American character who was "movin' on up" in a white man's world, as well as an off-screen African-American actor who conquered the medium of 1970s sitcoms like no other.
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Jack Palance, born as Volodymyr Jack Palahniuk in 1919, was a distinctive figure in the world of film and television. Born into a Ukrainian immigrant family in Pennsylvania, Palance's journey from coal miner to Academy Award-winning actor is a story that encompasses the essence of the American dream. Palance's acting career, which spanned over six decades, offered an intriguing blend of tough-guy roles and dramatic portrayals that showcased his versatility. He made his breakthrough in Hollywood with the film Panic in the Streets (1950) and later gained fame for his role in Shane (1953), a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, it was his role in City Slickers (1991) that won him an Oscar, finally crowning his illustrious career with the industry's highest accolade. Off-screen, Palance was equally interesting. A professional boxer in his early years, he was also a World War II veteran, having flown combat missions in Europe. Additionally, he was a talented painter, with his works displayed in galleries worldwide. His passion for art and culture extended to his love for writing poetry, leading to the publication of a collection titled The Forest of Love. The legacy of Jack Palance lies not only in his cinematic achievements but also in his diverse array of talents that painted a rich tapestry of a life lived fully.
- Birthplace: Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, USA
The Best Jack Palance Movies, RankedSee all- 1Shane52 Votes
- 2Bagdad Café21 Votes
- 3Panic in the Streets26 Votes
- Arthur Gordon Linkletter (born Arthur Gordon Kelly or Gordon Arthur Kelley (sources differ), July 17, 1912 – May 26, 2010) was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny on NBC radio and television for 19 years. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1942. One popular feature of his House Party program was the Kids Say the Darndest Things segments. A series of books followed which contained the humorous comments made on-air by children.
- Birthplace: Moose Jaw, Canada
- Born on May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, James Arness was a towering figure in American television history. Best known for his leading role as Marshal Matt Dillon in the long-running TV series Gunsmoke, Arness became an icon of the Western genre and a pillar of stability to viewers across the country. His early life was marked by hardship, including the death of his father and his own serious injuries during World War II. These experiences shaped him into a resilient individual with a strong work ethic, which would later influence his acting career. After the war, Arness found his calling in the world of acting. He began on the radio, but quickly transitioned to film where he landed roles in notable movies such as The Thing from Another World and Them! In 1955, he received the role of Matt Dillon in the TV series Gunsmoke, which went on to become one of the longest-running dramatic series in U.S. television history. For two decades, he graced small screens nationwide, bringing the character of Matt Dillon to life with authenticity and grit, earning him wide acclaim and three Emmy nominations. Offscreen, Arness was a dedicated family man. Married twice, he had three children who remember him as a loving father. Despite his fame, he remained grounded and private, preferring a quiet life away from Hollywood's glitz and glamour. He was also involved in several charitable activities, using his platform to give back to society. James Arness passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy that continues to be celebrated in the hearts of fans and within the annals of television history.
- Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The Best James Arness MoviesSee all
1Sierra7 Votes- 2The Macahans32 Votes
- 3Them!23 Votes
- As one of the most accomplished and influential directors of all time, Ingmar Bergman charted an unparalleled career in film and television, while also staging numerous theatrical productions throughout the decades. Bergman's artistry concentrated on spiritual and psychological conflicts that were complemented by a distinctly intense and intimate visual style. As he matured as an artist, however, Bergman shifted from an allegorical to a more personal cinema, often revisiting and elaborating on recurring images, subjects and techniques. He spent the first part of his career struggling to find his voice before hitting the mark with "Summer with Monika" (1955), and earned international acclaim for "The Seventh Seal" (1957) and "Wild Strawberries" (1957), both of which delved deeply into religious motifs. Bergman went on to direct a number of stunning works during the 1960s, including "The Virgin Spring" (1960), "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961) and "Persona" (1966). Already acknowledged as one of the masters of cinema, Bergman was at the height of his powers in the following decade with masterpieces like in "Cries and Whispers" (1973). Bergman went on to further greatness and retired from feature filmmaking after the autobiographical "Fanny and Alexander" (1982), though he continued to be active in television and the theater for the next 20 years until his death in 2007, which marked the end of a remarkable career as a true auteur.
- Birthplace: Uppsala, Sweden
Director Ingmar Bergman's Best Films, RankedSee all- 1The Seventh Seal116 Votes
- 2Wild Strawberries102 Votes
- 3Persona114 Votes
- John Carradine, born Richmond Reed Carradine on February 5, 1906, was an American actor who had a career spanning over six decades. Known for his distinguished, resonant voice, he was part of the illustrious Carradine family that includes his sons, actors David, Keith, and Robert Carradine. His acting career commenced with stage roles in the mid-1920s, leading him to become a member of John Ford's stock company, where he honed his craft and later became one of Hollywood's most prolific character actors. Carradine is best remembered for his roles in horror films, Westerns, and Shakespearean theater. His first significant film role was in director John Ford's Stagecoach (1939), where he delivered a memorable performance as the loquacious, boozing Southern gambler. Apart from this, he is also noted for his performances in classic horror films such as The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and House of Dracula (1945). He also enjoyed a successful stage career; he played Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the 1952 Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, a testament to his versatility as an actor. Carradine remained active in the entertainment industry until his death in 1988. A testament to his enduring passion for acting, he amassed over 350 film and television appearances throughout his career. The breadth of his work and his dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected figures in the entertainment industry. His legacy continues through his family, with many of his descendants choosing to pursue careers in acting, ensuring the Carradine name lives on in Hollywood.
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- A popular character actor whose talent and charm frequently brought him leading man roles, Darren McGavin was one of the more beloved familiar faces on television. After a turbulent youth, McGavin inadvertently turned to acting and after notable work on stage and television, began making appearances alongside some of film's biggest names like Frank Sinatra "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955) and Jerry Lewis in "The Delicate Delinquent" (1957). With his rugged good looks and streetwise charisma, McGavin was the perfect choice to play pulp novelist Mickey Spillane's skirt-chasing, hard-living private eye in "Mike Hammer" (syndicated, 1986-59). But it was McGavin's role as the tenacious reporter of the macabre, Carl Kolchak, in the made-for-TV horror movie "The Night Stalker" (ABC, 1972) that would forever endear him to an entire generation of young television viewers. When it became ABC's highest-rated TV movie ever at the time, a sequel and a weekly series, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (ABC, 1973-74), were quickly put into production. A decade later, McGavin delivered his second indelible character when he played the curmudgeonly yet loving father of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the perennial holiday classic, "A Christmas Story" (1983). So influential was the character of Kolchak in the creation of "The X-Files" (Fox, 1993-2002), that series creator Chris Carter later cast McGavin in a pair of episodes. Blessed with impeccable timing and personality plus, McGavin elevated the quality of each and every project on his impressive résumé.
- Birthplace: Spokane, Washington, USA
- A freckled-faced boy-next-door, actor Van Johnson became a big star at MGM in the 1940s and 1950s when he came to Hollywood from the Broadway chorus. He cornered the market on genial guys who romanced nice girls like June Allyson and Esther Williams in comedies and musicals, which made him a top box office draw during the war and into post-war America. On occasion, he was given a chance to show some dramatic grit in war pictures like "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo" (1944) and "Battleground" (1949). Johnson's career faded in the early 1960s, though he remained active on television and theater until the early 1990s. Johnson's air of sympathetic concern, boyish energy and sometimes larger-than-life acting style ensured his enduring status as one of the most well-liked symbols of Hollywood's Golden Age.
- Birthplace: Newport, Rhode Island, USA
- Karl Malden, born Mladen George Sekulovich in 1912, was a remarkable actor who etched an indelible mark on Hollywood with his talent and dedication. Rising from the humble beginnings of a steel mill town in Gary, Indiana, Malden gradually emerged as a powerhouse performer across stage, film, and television platforms. Notably, his middle-class upbringing and Serbian roots instilled in him a strong work ethic that underpinned his impressive career spanning more than seventy years. Malden's acting career took off on the stages of Broadway, where his exceptional performances caught the eye of the influential director Elia Kazan. This professional acquaintance led to his breakthrough role in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His portrayal of Mitch, a sensitive and down-to-earth foil to Marlon Brando's volatile Stanley Kowalski, showcased his ability to embody diverse characters, a skill that became his trademark. Over the subsequent decades, Malden starred in numerous successful films including On the Waterfront and Birdman of Alcatraz, earning another Academy Award nomination along the way. In addition to his cinematic achievements, Malden made significant contributions to television. He is best remembered for his role as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s crime drama The Streets of San Francisco, where he shared the screen with a young Michael Douglas. His compelling performances earned him an Emmy nomination and solidified his status as a versatile actor. Off-screen, Malden served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for five terms, advocating for the preservation of film history. Karl Malden passed away in 2009, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional performances that continue to inspire actors worldwide.
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; c. 1400 – February 3, 1468) was a German blacksmith, goldsmith, inventor, printer, and publisher who introduced printing to Europe with the printing press. His introduction of mechanical movable type printing to Europe started the Printing Revolution and is regarded as a milestone of the second millennium, ushering in the modern period of human history. It played a key role in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses.Gutenberg in 1439 was the first European to use movable type. Among his many contributions to printing are: the invention of a process for mass-producing movable type; the use of oil-based ink for printing books; adjustable molds; mechanical movable type; and the use of a wooden printing press similar to the agricultural screw presses of the period. His truly epochal invention was the combination of these elements into a practical system that allowed the mass production of printed books and was economically viable for printers and readers alike. Gutenberg's method for making type is traditionally considered to have included a type metal alloy and a hand mould for casting type. The alloy was a mixture of lead, tin, and antimony that melted at a relatively low temperature for faster and more economical casting, cast well, and created a durable type. In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass communication which permanently altered the structure of society. The relatively unrestricted circulation of information—including revolutionary ideas—transcended borders, captured the masses in the Reformation and threatened the power of political and religious authorities; the sharp increase in literacy broke the monopoly of the literate elite on education and learning and bolstered the emerging middle class. Across Europe, the increasing cultural self-awareness of its people led to the rise of proto-nationalism, accelerated by the flowering of the European vernacular languages to the detriment of Latin's status as lingua franca. In the 19th century, the replacement of the hand-operated Gutenberg-style press by steam-powered rotary presses allowed printing on an industrial scale, while Western-style printing was adopted all over the world, becoming practically the sole medium for modern bulk printing. The use of movable type was a marked improvement on the handwritten manuscript, which was the existing method of book production in Europe, and upon woodblock printing, and revolutionized European book-making. Gutenberg's printing technology spread rapidly throughout Europe and later the world. His major work, the Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible), was the first printed version of the Bible and has been acclaimed for its high aesthetic and technical quality.
- Birthplace: Mainz, Germany
- Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg in 1928, was a French singer, songwriter, pianist, film composer, poet, painter, screenwriter, writer, actor and director. His extraordinary ability to transcend genres and mediums made him one of the most influential figures in French popular music. Of Russian-Jewish descent, Gainsbourg's family fled to France escaping from the turbulence of the Russian revolution. His experiences growing up under Nazi occupation in Paris indubitably shaped the provocative and rebellious spirit that underscored much of his work. A virtuoso of words, Gainsbourg stirred controversy and admiration in equal measure through his audacious lyrics and unapologetically libertine lifestyle. He began his musical career as a jazz musician, but eventually found success in the pop music world, with his distinctive blend of chanson, pop, reggae, funk and world music. Gainsbourg's songs often explored taboo themes such as sex and death, most famously in his duets with Jane Birkin, notably the scandalous "Je t'aime... moi non plus". Despite his evident talent, Gainsbourg was plagued by self-doubt and an ever-present struggle with alcohol throughout his life -- a struggle that ultimately led to his untimely death in 1991. However, his legacy lives on, influencing and inspiring artists across the globe. Even three decades after his death, Serge Gainsbourg remains an enduring symbol of French creativity, his provocative genius continuing to shape the landscape of music and popular culture. His enigmatic persona and avant-garde style have assured him a place among the pantheon of France's greatest cultural icons.
- Birthplace: France, Paris
- Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician and a leader in the conservative movement. He served from 1973 until 2003, and was elected five times as a Republican to the United States Senate from North Carolina. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001 he had a major voice in foreign policy. Helms helped organize and fund the conservative resurgence in the 1970s, focusing on Ronald Reagan's quest for the White House as well as helping many local and regional candidates. Helms was the longest-serving popularly elected Senator in North Carolina's history. He was widely credited with shifting the one-party state into a competitive two-party state. He advocated the movement of conservatives from the Democratic Party – which they deemed too liberal – to the Republican Party. The Helms-controlled National Congressional Club's state-of-the-art direct mail operation raised millions of dollars for Helms and other conservative candidates, allowing Helms to outspend his opponents in most of his campaigns. Helms was the most stridently conservative politician of the post-1960s era, especially in opposition to federal intervention into what he considered state affairs (including legislating integration via the Civil Rights Act and enforcing suffrage through the Voting Rights Act). As long-time chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he demanded a staunchly anti-communist foreign policy that would reward America's friends abroad, and punish its enemies. His relations with the State Department were often acrimonious, and he blocked numerous presidential appointees. However, he worked smoothly with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.In domestic affairs, Helms promoted industrial development in the South, seeking low taxes and few labor unions so as to attract northern and international corporations to relocate to North Carolina. On social issues, Helms was conservative. He was a master obstructionist who relished his nickname, "Senator No". He combined cultural, social and economic conservatism, which often helped his legislation win wide public support. He fought what he considered to be liberalism whenever it was on the agenda, opposing civil rights, disability rights, feminism, gay rights, affirmative action, access to abortions, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and the National Endowment for the Arts. Helms brought an "aggressiveness" to his conservatism, as in his rhetoric against homosexuality. The Almanac of American Politics once wrote that "no American politician is more controversial, beloved in some quarters and hated in others, than Jesse Helms".
- Birthplace: Monroe, North Carolina, USA
- Robert Strange McNamara (June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He played a major role in escalating the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. McNamara was responsible for the institution of systems analysis in public policy, which developed into the discipline known today as policy analysis.He was born in San Francisco, California, graduated from UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School and served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, Henry Ford II hired McNamara and a group of other Army Air Force veterans to work for Ford Motor Company. These "Whiz Kids" helped reform Ford with modern planning, organization, and management control systems. After briefly serving as Ford's president, McNamara accepted appointment as Secretary of Defense. McNamara became a close adviser to Kennedy and advocated the use of a blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy and McNamara instituted a Cold War defense strategy of flexible response, which anticipated the need for military responses short of massive retaliation. McNamara consolidated intelligence and logistics functions of the Pentagon into two centralized agencies: the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Defense Supply Agency. During the Kennedy administration, McNamara presided over a build-up of US soldiers in South Vietnam. After the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, the number of US soldiers in Vietnam escalated dramatically. McNamara and other US policymakers feared that the fall of South Vietnam to a Communist regime would lead to the fall of other governments in the region. In October 1966, he launched Project 100,000, the lowering of army IQ standards which allowed 354,000 additional men to be recruited, despite criticism that they were not suited to working in high stress or dangerous environments. McNamara grew increasingly skeptical of the efficacy of committing US soldiers to Vietnam. In 1968, he resigned as Secretary of Defense to become President of the World Bank. He remains the longest serving Secretary of Defense, having remained in office over seven years. He served as President of the World Bank until 1981, shifting the focus of the World Bank towards poverty reduction. After retiring, he served as a trustee of several organizations, including the California Institute of Technology and the Brookings Institution. In his later writings and interviews, he expressed regret for the decisions he made during the Vietnam War.
- Birthplace: USA, California, San Francisco
- Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou (Greek: Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was a Greek-American director, producer, writer and actor, described by The New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history".He was born in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), to Cappadocian Greek parents. After attending Williams College and then the Yale School of Drama, he acted professionally for eight years, later joining the Group Theatre in 1932, and co-founded the Actors Studio in 1947. With Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford, his actors' studio introduced "Method Acting" under the direction of Lee Strasberg. Kazan acted in a few films, including City for Conquest (1940).Noted for drawing out the best dramatic performances from his actors, he directed 21 actors to Oscar nominations, resulting in nine wins. He directed a string of successful films, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), and East of Eden (1955). During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director, three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globes. He also received an Honorary Oscar. His films were concerned with personal or social issues of special concern to him. Kazan writes, "I don't move unless I have some empathy with the basic theme." His first such "issue" film was Gentleman's Agreement (1947), with Gregory Peck, which dealt with anti-Semitism in America. It received 8 Oscar nominations and 3 wins, including Kazan's first for Best Director. It was followed by Pinky, one of the first films in mainstream Hollywood to address racial prejudice against black people. In 1954, he directed On the Waterfront, a film about union corruption on the New York harbor waterfront. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), an adaptation of the stage play which he had also directed, received 12 Oscar nominations, winning 4, and was Marlon Brando's breakthrough role. In 1955, he directed John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences. A turning point in Kazan's career came with his testimony as a witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1952 at the time of the Hollywood blacklist, which brought him strong negative reactions from many liberal friends and colleagues. His testimony helped end the careers of former acting colleagues Morris Carnovsky and Art Smith, along with basically the work of playwright Clifford Odets. The two men had made a pact to name each other in front of the committee. Kazan later justified his act by saying he took "only the more tolerable of two alternatives that were either way painful and wrong." Nearly a half-century later, his anti-Communist testimony continued to cause controversy. When Kazan was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1999, dozens of actors chose not to applaud as 250 demonstrators picketed the event.Kazan influenced the films of the 1950s and 1960s with his provocative, issue-driven subjects. Director Stanley Kubrick called him, "without question, the best director we have in America, [and] capable of performing miracles with the actors he uses." Film author Ian Freer concludes that even "if his achievements are tainted by political controversy, the debt Hollywood—and actors everywhere—owes him is enormous." In 2010, Martin Scorsese co-directed the documentary film A Letter to Elia as a personal tribute to Kazan.
- Birthplace: Constantinople, Turkey, Istanbul
- Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (, also US: , Italian: [ˈklaudjo monteˈverdi] (listen); baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, string player and choirmaster. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered a crucial transitional figure between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods of music history. Born in Cremona, where he undertook his first musical studies and compositions, Monteverdi developed his career first at the court of Mantua (c. 1590–1613) and then until his death in the Republic of Venice where he was maestro di cappella at the basilica of San Marco. His surviving letters give insight into the life of a professional musician in Italy of the period, including problems of income, patronage and politics. Much of Monteverdi's output, including many stage works, has been lost. His surviving music includes nine books of madrigals, large-scale sacred works such as his Vespro della Beata Vergine (Vespers) of 1610, and three complete operas. His opera L'Orfeo (1607) is the earliest of the genre still widely performed; towards the end of his life he wrote works for the commercial theatre in Venice, including Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'incoronazione di Poppea. While he worked extensively in the tradition of earlier Renaissance polyphony, such as in his madrigals, he undertook great developments in form and melody, and began to employ the basso continuo technique, distinctive of the Baroque. No stranger to controversy, he defended his sometimes novel techniques as elements of a seconda pratica, contrasting with the more orthodox earlier style which he termed the prima pratica. Largely forgotten during the eighteenth and much of the nineteenth centuries, his works enjoyed a rediscovery around the beginning of the twentieth century. He is now established both as a significant influence in European musical history and as a composer whose works are regularly performed and recorded.
- Birthplace: Cremona, Italy
- Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated for the Academy Award five times, including one win for Best Actress, as well as a Golden Globe Award win for Best Actress in a Drama. Jones is among the youngest actresses to receive an Academy Award, having won on her 25th birthday. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jones worked as a model in her youth before transitioning to acting, appearing in two serial films in 1939. Her third role was a lead part as Bernadette Soubirous in The Song of Bernadette (1943), which earned her the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress that year. She went on to star in several films that garnered her significant critical acclaim and a further three Academy Award nominations in the early-1940s, including Since You Went Away (1944), Love Letters (1945), and Duel in the Sun (1946) In 1949, Jones married film producer David O. Selznick, and appeared as the titular Madame Bovary in Vincente Minnelli's 1949 adaptation. She appeared in several films throughout the 1950s, including Ruby Gentry (1952), John Huston's adventure comedy Beat the Devil (1953), and Vittorio De Sica's drama Terminal Station (also 1953). Jones earned her fifth Academy Award nomination for her performance as a Eurasian doctor in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). After Selznick's death in 1965, Jones married industrialist Norton Simon and went into semi-retirement. She made her final film appearance in The Towering Inferno (1974). Jones suffered from mental health problems during her life and survived a 1966 suicide attempt in which she jumped from a cliff in Malibu Beach. After her own daughter committed suicide in 1976, Jones became profoundly interested in mental health education. In 1980, she founded the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health and Education. She spent the remainder of her life withdrawn from the public, residing in Malibu, California, where she died in 2009, aged 90.
- Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
The Best Jennifer Jones MoviesSee all- 1Portrait of Jennie45 Votes
- 2The Song of Bernadette55 Votes
- 3Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing44 Votes
- Best known for her work on the enduring television sitcom "Father Knows Best" (CBS/NBC, 1954-1960), Jane Wyatt had displayed her talents in numerous stage and film productions before landing the role that brought her into millions of American living rooms each week. After earning a measure of success on Broadway in the classic farce "Dinner at Eight" (1932-33), the pretty brunette was offered a movie contract and made a splash in Frank Capra's revered fantasy "Lost Horizon" (1937). The efforts that followed included titles like "None but the Lonely Heart" (1944), "Boomerang!" (1947), and "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), and Wyatt was usually up for the demands of her parts. Ironically, the New Jersey native's blacklisting in the early 1950s for liberal sentiments led her to concentrate on television assignments and that was likely instrumental in Wyatt joining the cast of "Father Knows Best." As one of the model TV mothers of the 1950s, she was able to embue the character with a disarming combination of cordiality and charm, and the program became a cultural touchstone of its time. While she displayed sufficient diversity, Wyatt was never a major Broadway or motion picture star, but her place in show business legend was secured by "Father Knows Best" and the conviviality she displayed as the matriarch of an idealized 1950s middle-class household.
- Birthplace: Campgaw, New Jersey, USA
- Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became a national television personality starting on CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country music crossover hit into rock and roll with "Big Bad John" and his 1963 television series The Jimmy Dean Show, which gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure. His acting career included appearing in the early seasons in the Daniel Boone TV series as the sidekick of the famous frontiersman played by star Fess Parker. Later he was on the big screen in a supporting role as billionaire Willard Whyte in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971). He lived near Richmond, Virginia, and was nominated for the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, although he was inducted posthumously at age 81.
- Birthplace: Plainview, Texas, USA
- Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and actor. Also an author, Shaw wrote both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led one of the United States' most popular big bands in the late 1930s through the early 1940s. Though he had numerous hit records, he was perhaps best known for his 1938 recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine". Before the release of "Beguine", Shaw and his fledgling band had languished in relative obscurity for over two years and, after its release, he became a major pop artist within short order. The record eventually became one of the era's defining recordings. Musically restless, Shaw was also an early proponent of what became known much later as Third Stream music, which blended elements of classical and jazz forms and traditions. His music influenced other musicians, such as John Barry in England, with the vamp of the James Bond Theme, possibly influenced by 1938's "Nightmare". Shaw also recorded with small jazz groups drawn from within the ranks of the various big bands he led. He served in the US Navy from 1942 to 1944, (during which time he led a morale-building band that toured the South Pacific amidst the chaos of World War II) and, following his discharge in 1944, he returned to lead a band through 1945. Following the breakup of that band, he began to focus on other interests and gradually withdrew from the world of being a professional musician and major celebrity, although he remained a force in popular music and jazz before retiring from music completely in 1954.
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Sherwood Charles Schwartz (; November 14, 1916 – July 12, 2011) was an American television producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, he is best known for creating the 1960s television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC. On March 7, 2008, Schwartz, at the time still active in his 90s, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, Schwartz was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
- Birthplace: Passaic, USA, New Jersey
- One of the favorite stars of screen musicals during their heyday in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Kathryn Grayson was a visually and vocally striking singer and actress who graced some of the most popular films of the postwar era, including "Anchors Aweigh" (1947) and "Kiss Me Kate" (1953). Blessed with a coloratura soprano from an early age, she caught the attention of MGM chief Louis B. Mayer while a teenager, and was signed to a contract without the benefit of a screen test or drama lessons. Her combination of looks and voice made her an ideal leading lady opposite some of the biggest male musical performers of the day, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza, Gordon MacRae, and her personal favorite, Howard Keel, with whom she co-starred in several hit films. The demise of the Hollywood musical, however, brought her screen career to an end, though she remained active on stage in plays, musicals and opera for the next five decades, while the best of her film efforts earned classic status, ensuring her screen immortality.
- Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Leonore Cohn Annenberg (February 20, 1918 – March 12, 2009), also known as Lee Annenberg, was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and philanthropist. She was noted for serving as Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1981 to 1982. Annenberg was married to Walter Annenberg, who was an Ambassador to the United Kingdom and newspaper publishing magnate. She also served as the chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation from 2002 until 2009. Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from Stanford University. After her first two marriages ended in divorce, she married noted businessman Walter Annenberg, who was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1969 under President Richard Nixon. In her role as the ambassador's wife, Leonore directed a major renovation of the ambassador's official residence. The Annenbergs contributed to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and upon his inauguration, Leonore was named Chief of Protocol, placing her in charge of advising the president, vice president, and Secretary of State on matters relating to diplomatic protocol. The Annenbergs became major philanthropists, donating money to education facilities, charitable causes, and the arts. Leonore served on many committees and boards as well. After her husband's death in 2002, she continued to donate money and succeeded him as chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation.
- Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
- Louis Vincent Albano (29 July 1933 – 14 October 2009) was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969 before becoming a manager until 1995. Over the course of his 42-year career Albano guided 15 different tag teams and three singles competitors to championship gold. Albano was one of the "Triumvirate of Terror," a threesome of nefarious WWF managers which included The Grand Wizard of Wrestling and Freddie Blassie. The trio was a fixture in the company for a decade until The Grand Wizard's death in 1983. A unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band facial piercings, and loud outfits, Albano was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Collaborating with Cyndi Lauper, Albano helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience.
- Birthplace: Rome, Italy
- Tony Martin's powerful tenor and smooth, romantic style earned him a place in America's heart as a much-loved entertainer. He entered the business as a musician in touring orchestras before landing plum roles in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s, including "Sing, Baby, Sing" (1936), "Music in My Heart" (1940), "Ziegfield Girl" (1941) and "Casbah" (1948). Martin's crooning also swept the nation, with soulful renditions of ballads and pop standards like "When I'm With You" (1936) and the Oscar-nominated "For Every Man There's A Woman" (1948). His talent and undeniable charm wooed several silver screen goddesses throughout his career, from Ava Gardner to Rita Hayworth to Lana Turner, yet it was Martin's 60-year marriage to actress and dancer Cyd Charisse that remained a true Hollywood love story. With a multi-hyphenate career that spanned decades and withered an industry obsessed with youth, Martin endured as one of the most accomplished and stylish vocalists of his era.
- Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
- One half of the most celebrated animation-producing duos in history, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, created some of the best-loved animated television programming of the 20th century and beyond, including "The Huckleberry Hound Show" (syndicated, 1958-1961), "The Yogi Bear Show" (syndicated, 1961-62), "The Flintstones" (ABC, 1960-66), "The Jetsons" (ABC, 1962-63), "Jonny Quest" (ABC, 1964-65), "Super Friends" (ABC, 1973-1986) and "The Smurfs" (NBC, 1981-89). With Hanna, Barbera began his career with the Oscar-winning Tom and Jerry animated shorts for MGM. When the company shuttered its animation division, the duo launched their own company, striking pay dirt almost immediately with "Huckleberry Hound" and "The Flintstones," their first primetime series. Hanna-Barbera's cartoons, driven largely by bright, simple artwork, clever writing, and memorable characters, led the television animation field until the 1980s, when financial difficulties resulted in their sale to a variety of companies. They rebounded in the 1990s as part of Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network, for which they oversaw such cutting-edge cartoons as "The Powerpuff Girls" (1998-2005) before Hanna's death in 2001. Joseph Barbera's vast output of animated fare over the course of his six-decade career contained so many beloved characters and shows that his position as one of the dominant forces in American animation was assured for eternity.
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Elyse Knox (born Elsie Lillian Kornbrath: December 14, 1917 – February 16, 2012) was an American actress, model, and fashion designer.
- Birthplace: USA, Connecticut, Hartford
Norodom Sihanouk
Dec. at 89 (1922-2012)Norodom Sihanouk (Khmer: នរោត្តម សីហនុ; 31 October 1922 – 15 October 2012) was head of state of Cambodia numerous times. In Cambodia, he is known as Samdech Euv (Khmer: សម្តេចឪ, father prince). During his lifetime Cambodia was variously called the French Protectorate of Cambodia (until 1953), the Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–70), the Khmer Republic (1970–75), Democratic Kampuchea (1975–79), the People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979–93), and again the Kingdom of Cambodia (from 1993). Sihanouk became King in 1941 upon the death of his maternal grandfather, King Monivong. After the Japanese occupation of Cambodia during the Second World War, he secured Cambodian independence from France. He abdicated in 1955 and was succeeded by his father, Suramarit. Sihanouk's political organization Sangkum won the general elections that year and he became Prime Minister of Cambodia. He governed it under one-party rule, suppressed political dissent, and declared himself Head of State in 1960. Officially neutral in foreign relations, in practice he was closer to the communist bloc. The Cambodian coup of 1970 ousted him and he fled to China and North Korea, there forming a government-in-exile and resistance movement. He returned as figurehead head of state after the Cambodian Civil War resulted in victory for the Khmer Rouge in 1975. His relations with the government declined and in 1976 he resigned. He was placed under house arrest until Vietnamese forces overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979. Sihanouk went into exile again and in 1981 formed FUNCINPEC, a resistance party. The following year, he became President of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK), a broad coalition of anti-Vietnamese resistance factions which retained Cambodia's seat at the United Nations, making him Cambodia's internationally recognized head of state. In the late 1980s, informal talks were carried out to end hostilities between the Vietnam-supported People's Republic of Kampuchea and the CGDK. In 1990, the Supreme National Council of Cambodia was formed as a transitional body to oversee Cambodia's sovereign matters, with Sihanouk as its president. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords were signed and the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was established the following year. The UNTAC organized the 1993 Cambodian general elections, and a coalition government, jointly led by his son Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen, was subsequently formed. He was reinstated as Cambodia's King. He abdicated again in 2004 and the Royal Council of the Throne chose his son, Sihamoni, as his successor. Sihanouk died in Beijing in 2012. Between 1941 and 2006, Sihanouk produced and directed 50 films, some of which he acted in. The films, later described as being of low quality, often featured nationalistic elements, as did a number of the songs he wrote. Some of his songs were about his wife Queen Monique, the nations neighboring Cambodia, and the communist leaders who supported him in his exile. In the 1980s Sihanouk held concerts for diplomats in New York City. He also participated in concerts at his palace during his second reign.- Birthplace: Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- For more than five decades, author and journalist George Plimpton delved deeply into an array of high-profile and often physically grueling experiences, including professional baseball, boxing, competitive fireworks and stand-up comedy, which informed such celebrated non-fiction books as Paper Lion (1966) and Shadow Box (1977). Born George Ames Plimpton in New York City, New York on March 18, 1927, he was the son of lawyer Francis T.P. Plimpton, who served as U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations under President John F. Kennedy, and Pauline Ames; his family tree also publisher George Arthur Plimpton and two governors of Massachusetts. Plimpton was educated at St. Bernard's School and Philips Exeter Academy before enrolling at Harvard College in 1944. His studies were interrupted by service with the U.S. Army as a tank driver during World War II; upon returning to civilian life, he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon and graduated from Harvard in 1950 before pursuing a second degree in English at Cambridge University, from which he graduated in 1952. The following year, Plimpton became the first editor-in-chief of the esteemed literary publication The Paris Review before returning to the United States to teach at Barnard College and contribute to Horizon magazine. In 1958, he began to participate in a series of "participatory" stories in which he drew first-hand experience on an array of singular experiences: pitching against the New York Yankees, sparring for three rounds with champion boxers Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson, training with the Detroit Lions and Boston Bruins, and playing golf on the PGA Tour. These experiences, detailed with dry wit and exceptional attention, became the basis for a string of well-received books, including his baseball memoir Out of My League (1961), Paper Lion (football) and features for Sports Illustrated, among other publications. Many of his exploits were aired as specials on ABC, which helped to endear his clipped delivery and saturnine features to audiences and led to a side career as a pitchman for Oldsmobile and the Intellivision game system, and actor and television host, most notably in "Reds" (1981) and "Good Will Hunting" (1997). Plimpton retained his position as editor of The Paris Review for the next four decades while continuing to contribute features and pen books, including Edie: An American Autobiography (1982), about his friend, the socialite and Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick, and Fireworks (1984), which detailed his obsession with demolition. In 1985, he penned a story for Sports Illustrated about a New York Mets pitcher named Siddhartha Finch who was a practicing Buddhist with a fastball that clocked at over 160 miles per hour. Though a spoof, the story convinced many readers that Finch was an up-and-coming in the major leagues, and inspired a book, The Curious Case of Sidd Finch (1987). His final book, Truman Capote (1998), was an oral history of the acclaimed author; Plimpton worked on a variety of projects, including commentary for the Ken Burns documentary "Baseball" (1994) and "Zelda, Scott and Ernest," a dramatization of correspondence between F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda and Ernest Hemingway, in 2002. Plimpton succumbed to a heart attack in his apartment in New York City on September 25, 2003; his passing was honored by numerous peers and admirers, including the oral biography George, Being George (2008) and the feature-length documentary "Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself" (2012).
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Bhanumathi Ramakrishna (7 September 1925 – 24 December 2005) was a multilingual Indian film actress, director, music director, singer, producer, book writer and songwriter. Widely known as the first female super star of Telugu cinema and South Indian film Industry, she is also known for her works in Tamil cinema. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2003 for her contribution in Indian cinema. She was honored among "women in cinema" at the 30th International Film Festival of India.
- Birthplace: India, Doddavaram
- Married to former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley, Hollywood actor and television personality Gary Collins could very well be called Mr. America. He served in the Army for two years as a young man, where he discovered his passion for performing as part of the Armed Forces Network. Upon his return, his acting career began outright, and he found a role as Lieutenant Richard P. "Rip" Ripley in the sitcom "The Wackiest Ship in the Army," a short-lived TV adaptation of the 1960 Jack Lemmon comedy. Collins's military expertise helped secure him the part of a second officer in the 1970 thriller "Airport" as well. In 1972, Collins led another ill-fated series, this time playing parapsychologist Dr. Michael Rhodes in "The Sixth Sense," a supernatural mystery show. Though he appeared throughout the '70s in guest spots on dozens of TV favorites, it was as host of the 1980s talk show "Hour Magazine" that Collins met with the most success. He was five times nominated and once won a Daytime Emmy for his performance, which was highlighted by his natural charm and diplomacy in interviews. His talent did not go unnoticed, and he also hosted "The Miss America Pageant" from 1985 to 1989. It was an enviable gig, but Collins was already happily married to Miss America 1959.
- Birthplace: Venice, California, USA
- This stage and film character player who specialized in Brooklynesque hoods and heavies, both serious and comic, in the 1940s and 50s (including "Harry the Horse" in the 1955 film of "Guys and Dolls") turned innovative, and highly successful TV producer in the mid-50s. Sheldon Leonard began his film career in the 1927 "The Overland Stage," but returned to the real stage until 1939. He then appeared in "Another Thin Man," continuing to act in more than 70 films through the 1970s. Among his better-known were "Weekend in Havana" (1941), "Lucky Jordan" (1942), Howard Hawks' "To Have and Have Not" (1944), Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), as the bartender who throws James Stewart out of his tavern, and "A Pocketful of Miracles" (1961).
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Tall, dignified veteran character player of the American stage and screen with a career spanning nearly half a century. With his wife and frequent collaborator, actor Ruby Dee, Davis was a staple of black theater. Both are longstanding political activists who were highly visible during the height of the civil rights movement and continue to speak out at rallies for progressive and humanitarian causes. Davis delivered the moving eulogy at the funeral of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X (which he repeated for the extended coda to Spike Lee's 1992 biopic). As a playwright, screenwriter, director, producer, and actor, Davis has often been associated with works that celebrate and inculcate the lessons of black history in the US. He thrived as an inspirational and iconic presence in contemporary African-American culture.
- Birthplace: Cogdell, Georgia, USA
- Evan Mecham ( MEE-kəm; May 12, 1924 – February 21, 2008) was an American businessman and the 17th governor of Arizona, serving from January 5, 1987, until his impeachment conviction on April 4, 1988. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham was a successful automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher. Periodic runs for political office earned him a reputation as a perennial candidate along with the nickname of "The Harold Stassen of Arizona" before he was elected governor, under the Republican banner. As governor, Mecham was plagued by controversy almost immediately after his inauguration and became the first U.S. governor to simultaneously face removal from office through impeachment, a scheduled recall election, and a felony indictment. He was the first Arizona governor to be impeached. Mecham served one term as a state senator before beginning a string of unsuccessful runs for public office. His victory during the 1986 election began with a surprise win of the Republican nomination, followed by a split of the Democratic party during the general election, resulting in a three-way race. While Governor, Mecham became known for statements and actions that were widely perceived as insensitive to minorities. Among these actions were the cancellation of the state's paid Martin Luther King Jr. Day and creating an unpaid King holiday on a Sunday, attributing high divorce rates to working women, and his defense of the word "pickaninny" in describing African American children. In reaction to these events, a boycott of Arizona was organized. A rift between the Governor and fellow Republicans in the Arizona Legislature developed after the Arizona Republic newspaper made accusations of questionable political appointments and cronyism, accusations that Mecham contended were false. Having served from January 5, 1987, to April 4, 1988, Mecham was removed from office following conviction in his impeachment trial on charges of obstruction of justice and misuse of government funds – funds that Mecham maintained were private. A later criminal trial acquitted Mecham of related charges. Following his removal from office, Mecham remained active in politics for nearly a decade. During this time, he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and made his final runs for Arizona Governor and also for the U.S. Senate.
- Birthplace: Duchesne, Utah, USA
- Ramaswamy Venkataraman (pronunciation , 4 December 1910 – 27 January 2009) was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union Minister and as the eighth President of India.Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency. He studied law and practised in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In his young age, he was an activist of the Indian independence movement and participated in the Quit India Movement. He was appointed as the member of the Constituent Assembly and the provisional cabinet. He was elected to the Lok Sabha four times and served as Union Finance Minister and Defence Minister. In 1984, he was elected as the seventh Vice President of India and in 1987, he became the 8th President of India and served from 1987 to 1992. He also served as a State minister under K. Kamaraj and M. Bhaktavatsalam.
- Birthplace: Thanjavur, India
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Dec. at 90 (1918-2008)Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 1918 – 5 February 2008) was an Indian guru, known for developing the Transcendental Meditation technique and for being the leader and guru of a worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways including as a new religious movement and as non-religious. He became known as Maharishi (meaning "great seer") and Yogi as an adult.Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became a disciple and assistant of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) of Jyotirmath in the Indian Himalayas. The Maharishi credits Brahmananda Saraswati with inspiring his teachings. In 1955, the Maharishi began to introduce his Transcendental Deep Meditation (later renamed Transcendental Meditation) to India and the world. His first global tour began in 1958. His devotees referred to him as His Holiness, and because he often laughed in TV interviews he was sometimes referred to as the "giggling guru".The Maharishi is reported to have trained more than 40,000 TM teachers, taught the Transcendental Meditation technique to "more than five million people" and founded thousands of teaching centres and hundreds of colleges, universities and schools, while TM websites report tens of thousands learned the TM-Sidhi programme. His initiatives include schools and universities with campuses in several countries including India, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The Maharishi, his family and close associates created charitable organisations and for-profit businesses including health clinics, mail-order health supplements and organic farms. The reported value of the Maharishi's organization has ranged from the millions to billions of U.S. dollars and in 2008, the organization placed the value of their United States assets at about $300 million.In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Maharishi achieved fame as the guru to the Beatles, the Beach Boys and other celebrities. In the late 1970s, he started the TM-Sidhi programme that claimed to offer practitioners the ability to levitate and to create world peace. The Maharishi's Natural Law Party was founded in 1992, and ran campaigns in dozens of countries. He moved to near Vlodrop, the Netherlands, in the same year. In 2000, he created the Global Country of World Peace, a non-profit organization, and appointed its leaders. In 2008, the Maharishi announced his retirement from all administrative activities and went into silence until his death three weeks later.- Birthplace: Jabalpur, India
- Pasupuleti Kannamba (Pasupulēţi Kannāṃba) (5 October 1911 – 7 May 1964) was an Indian actress, playback singer and film producer of Telugu cinema, Andhra Pradesh, India. She acted in more than 170 films and produced about 25 films in Telugu and Tamil languages during the 1930s to the 1960s.
- Birthplace: India, Eluru
Mollie Sugden
Dec. at 86 (1922-2009)Mollie Sugden (21 July 1922 – 1 July 2009) was an English comedy actress, best known for portraying the saleswoman Mrs Slocombe in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? (1972–85). She later reprised this role in Grace & Favour (1992–93), Sugden and her co-star John Inman would become cult figures in America, so much so she was asked to appear in Donizetti's opera, La fille du regiment, in a non-singing role. Sugden appeared in many other television series, including The Liver Birds, That's My Boy and Coronation Street.- Birthplace: Keighley, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Ben Alexander was an American actor who was known for his role in "Dragnet" as Officer Frank Smith. Alexander was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1955 for the same project.
- Birthplace: Goldfield, Nevada, USA
- Arthur Bertram "Art" Modell (June 23, 1925 – September 6, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur and National Football League (NFL) team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years and established the Baltimore Ravens franchise, which he owned for nine years. Assuming control of the Browns franchise in 1961, Modell was a key figure in helping promote the NFL and was initially popular in Cleveland for his active role in the community and his efforts to improve the team. However, he made controversial actions during his ownership, which included the firing of Paul Brown, the franchise's first coach and namesake. In 1995, Modell faced widespread scorn in Cleveland when he attempted to relocate the Browns to Baltimore. While the Browns' namesake was ultimately able to remain in Cleveland, Modell retained the contracts of all Browns personnel and moved the franchise to Baltimore, forming the Ravens in 1996 as a nominal expansion team. Praised in Baltimore for returning football to the city after the departure of the Colts, Modell remains a controversial figure in Cleveland due to the relocation and, in particular, for his decision-making around the management of Cleveland Stadium and the construction of a replacement.
- Birthplace: New York City, New York
- Jester Joseph Hairston (July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor, and actor. He was regarded as a leading expert on Negro spirituals and choral music. His notable compositions include "Amen," a gospel-tinged theme from the film Lilies of the Field and a 1963 hit for The Impressions, and the Christmas song "Mary's Boy Child".
- Birthplace: Belews Creek, North Carolina, USA
- Bob Kane, best known for creating Batman, was interested in comics from an early age; he was a high-school chum of Will Eisner, who would go on to create "The Spirit." Kane studied at the renowned art school Cooper Union in Manhattan, and after graduation joined the Max Fleischer Studio as an assistant animator. He began freelance work in comics two years later, in 1936, contributing work to Eisner's comic studio. The company eventually became DC Comics, and in 1939 Kane created the character Batman. Bruce Wayne made his debut in the May issue of Detective Comics, and was an immediate hit. The characters Robin and the Joker appeared soon after, and the comic book's popularity soared. In 1943, Kane left the Batman comic books to focus on penciling the daily Batman newspaper comic strip. The character earned a television series in 1966, which was another major success. Starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, the irreverent, campy "Batman" series ran for over 100 episodes, and made the Caped Crusader even more popular. In his later years Kane worked in TV animation, creating the characters Courageous Cat and Cool McCool. Kane was set to make a cameo in Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster "Batman," but had to drop out for health reasons. He was inducted into the comic book industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1994.
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster based in Los Angeles and boss of the Cohen crime family. He also had strong ties to the Italian American Mafia from the 1930s through 1960s.
- Birthplace: New York City, New York
- He starred in the first Hollywood film to earn an Academy Award for Best Picture, but Charles "Buddy" Rogers's most cherished role was as Mr. Mary Pickford. Scouted by Paramount in 1925, the surpassingly handsome university undergrad was introduced to moviegoers in comedies starring W. C. Fields and Clara Bow. Paramount brought him west in 1927, but prominent parts failed to materialize. Rogers was on the verge of quitting when director William Wellman cast him as a World War I fighter pilot in "Wings" (1927), whose innovation and realism were rewarded with the first Best Picture Oscar. Rogers found offscreen love in the arms of his "My Best Girl" (1927) co-star Mary Pickford, but he had to wait a decade for Pickford to divorce Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. In the interim, he led a dance band, debuted on Broadway, worked in England, and developed a cinematic reputation as America's Boyfriend, a distinction that netted him 20,000 fan letters a month. After his 1937 marriage to Pickford, Rogers withdrew from the limelight to produce films, to serve his country in World War II, and to entertain American troops during the Korean War. Rogers and Pickford remained one of Hollywood's longest-married couples, a union that lasted until her death in 1979. Devoted to philanthropic pursuits and preserving Pickford's legacy, Rogers enjoyed the quintessential Palm Springs retirement until his own passing in 1999 marked the final chapter of an American success story that could have been written only in Hollywood.
- Birthplace: Olathe, Kansas, USA
- Maxime de la Falaise (25 June 1922 – 30 April 2009) was a 1950s model, and, in the 1960s, an underground movie actress. She is also remembered as a cookery writer and "food maven" and a fashion designer for Blousecraft, Chloé and Gérard Pipart [8]. In her later years she pursued a career as a furniture and interior designer.
- Birthplace: England, West Dean, West Sussex
- Laraine Day (born La Raine Johnson, October 13, 1920 – November 10, 2007) was an American actress, radio and television commentator and a former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star. As a leading lady, she was paired opposite major film stars including Lana Turner, Cary Grant, Ronald Reagan, Kirk Douglas, and John Wayne. As well as having had numerous film and television roles, she acted on stage, conducted her own radio and television shows, and wrote two books. Owing to her marriage to Leo Durocher and her involvement with his baseball career, she was known as "the First Lady of Baseball". Her best-known films include Foreign Correspondent, My Son, My Son, Journey for Margaret, Mr. Lucky, The Locket, and the Dr. Kildare series.
- Birthplace: USA, Roosevelt, Utah
- Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (French: [ʒɔʁʒ simnɔ̃]; 13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret.
- Birthplace: Liege, Belgium
- Charles Lane was an actor who appeared in "Murphy's Romance," "The Music Man," and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
- Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
- William Thomas Kinkade III (January 19, 1958 – April 6, 2012) was an American painter of popular realistic, pastoral, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for his success, during his lifetime, with the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products via the Thomas Kinkade Company. According to Kinkade's company, one in every twenty American homes owns a copy of one of his paintings.He described himself as "Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light", a phrase he protected through trademark, but which was originally used hundreds of years ago to describe the English artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851).
- Birthplace: Sacramento, California
- Andy Clyde was a British actor who appeared in "Colt Comrades," "Million Dollar Legs," and "The Leather Burners."
- Birthplace: Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, UK
- James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009), professionally known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician, best known as the drummer, songwriter, backing vocalist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The Rev was widely regarded and critically acclaimed for his work on Avenged Sevenfold albums, and contributed entire songs composed by himself, such as "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", and "Almost Easy". He was also the lead vocalist/pianist in Pinkly Smooth, a side project where he was known by the name Rathead, with fellow Avenged Sevenfold member, guitarist Synyster Gates (Brian Elwin Haner Jr.), and he was the drummer for Suburban Legends from 1998 to 1999.
- Birthplace: Huntington Beach, USA, California
- Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad (8 August 1941 – 16 April 2010) was the Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor of Corporate Strategy at University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He was the co-author of "Core Competence of the Corporation" (with Gary Hamel) and "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" (with Stuart L. Hart), about the business opportunity in serving the Bottom of the Pyramid. On 16 April 2010, Prahalad died at the age of 68 of a previously undiagnosed lung illness in San Diego, California.
- Birthplace: Coimbatore, India
- Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( roo-BEN mah-mool-YAHN, in Armenian: Ռուբէն Մամուլեան) (October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an Armenian-American film and theatre director.
- Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
- Veteran character actor in over 200 films. During his decades-long career, Toomey played mainly men-of-action character roles, second-rank good guys or cops variously in the gangster movie "G-Men" (1935), the war drama "Dive Bomber" (1941) and the Western "They Died With Their Boots On" (1942). During the 1950s and 60s, Toomey appeared as a regular on the TV series "Dante's Inferno," "Hey Mulligan," "Richard Diamond," "Burke's Law" (as Gene Barry's sidekick) and "Petticoat Junction."
- Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Claudio Arrau León (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈklau̯ðjo aˈrau̯]; February 6, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
- Birthplace: Chile, Chillán
- Glamorous light comedienne who, in the midst of a successful Broadway career, entered films at the behest of Thomas Ince in 1916. After a period away from films, Burke returned to features in the early 1930s in character roles. She is perhaps best known as Glinda, the Good Witch of the East, in the timeless "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). Burke enjoyed great popularity as a featured player over the next two decades, often playing dithery, aristocratic types. Married to impresario Florenz Ziegfeld from 1914 until his death in 1932.
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
- For someone whose specialty was playing genteel Brits, it's hard to imagine that Robert Douglas counted Hollywood playboy Errol Flynn as one of his closest friends. The Englishman managed to balance his pursuit of producing, acting, and directing plays, starting at the age of 23. Around the time Douglas was making his motion picture debut in the 1931 U.K. comedy "Dr. Josser, K.C.," he was also appearing in live theater alongside Jessica Tandy on Broadway and working with Laurence Olivier in London's West End. While serving as a World War II Royal Air Force pilot up through 1946, the proper Brit went Hollywood after getting signed to a Warner Brothers contract. Douglas's usual fate was that of a scowling villain, going up against a number of heroic types including Flynn ("The Adventures of Don Juan"), Burt Lancaster ("The Flame and the Arrow," and Stewart Granger ("The Prisoner of Zenda"). His favorite role during this time was as Ellsworth M. Toohey in the dense 1949 adaptation of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." Through the 1950s, Douglas continued acting in notable features including "Ivanhoe," "Saskatchewan," and "The Young Philadelphians." With the onset of the 1960s, his focus was primarily on directing numerous crime and medical dramas that included "Adam-12," "Baretta," "Trapper John, M.D.," and "The Streets of San Francisco."
- Birthplace: Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- When Mildred Dunnock quietly demanded that "Attention must be paid" to Willy Loman in the 1949 Broadway premiere of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" opposite Lee J. Cobb, her indelible performance as Linda Loman became the embodiment of Miller's idealized mother figure: loving, supportive mother and wife and the family's moral balast. She repeated her landmark performance in the disappointing 1951 Laslo Benedek film opposite Fredric March (winning her first Oscar nomination) and again opposite Cobb in the brilliant 1966 TV adaptation (directed by Alex Segal) and for the Caedmon recording in the 1960s.
- Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- George Brecht (August 27, 1926 – December 5, 2008), born George Ellis MacDiarmid, was an American conceptual artist and avant-garde composer, as well as a professional chemist who worked as a consultant for companies including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Mobil Oil. He was a key member of, and influence on, Fluxus, the international group of avant-garde artists centred on George Maciunas, having been involved with the group from the first performances in Wiesbaden 1962 until Maciunas' death in 1978. One of the originators of 'participatory' art, in which the artwork can only be experienced by the active involvement of the viewer, he is most famous for his Event Scores such as Drip Music 1962, (see Video on YouTube) and is widely seen as an important precursor to conceptual art. He described his own art as a way of “ensuring that the details of everyday life, the random constellations of objects that surround us, stop going unnoticed.”
- Birthplace: New York City, New York
- A noted radio and stage performer, Mercedes McCambridge won an Oscar for her screen debut as the political hatchet woman in "All the King's Men" (1949) but subsequently made only occasional film appearances. An intense actress with piercing dark eyes and a strong, resonant voice, she specialized in forceful or domineering roles and was not afraid to play the unsympathetic role of Joan Crawford's insanely jealous and vindictive nemesis in Nicholas Ray's flamboyantly psychological Western, "Johnny Guitar" (1954). She earned a second Academy Award nomination as Rock Hudson's headstrong older sister in "Giant" (1956) and later played Elizabeth Taylor's mother in "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959). McCambridge also provided the memorable voice-over for the demon-child in "The Exorcist" (1973). A recovered alcoholic, she has served as honorary chair of the Alcoholism Information Month and has appeared before the Senate committee on Alcoholism and Narcotics.
- Birthplace: Joliet, Illinois, USA
- Fazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect who initiated important structural systems for skyscrapers. Considered the "father of tubular designs for high-rises, Khan was also a pioneer in computer-aided design. He is the designer of the Willis Tower, the second-tallest building in the United States and the 100-story John Hancock Center. Khan helped usher in a renaissance in skyscraper construction during the second half of the 20th century, The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat named their lifetime achievement medal after him.
- Birthplace: Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Known as "The Girl with the Most Beautiful Face in Hollywood," Anita Page's career was over after only a decade, even though, at one point, she had attained a degree of popularity at MGM second only to studio queen Greta Garbo. A natural blonde with blue eyes, Page's luminous screen presence made her fascinating to watch even in minor fare. Arriving on the scene when studios were making the switch from silent features to talkies, she was often cast as loose or otherwise amoral women. Page first found fame opposite an equally new and fresh-faced Joan Crawford in "Our Dancing Daughters" (1928) and reached her peak of notoriety following the release of MGM's early musical hit "The Broadway Melody" (1929). She co-starred with several prominent MGM leading men, including Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ramon Novarro, William Haines and Robert Montgomery, and graced a pair of Buster Keaton's sound features. Most of Page's films were competent efforts that years later were of interest only to film buffs, but a few stood the test of time, including the splendid Lon Chaney crime drama "While the City Sleeps" (1928) and the pre-Hays Code classics "Night Court" (1932) and "Skyscraper Souls" (1932). Almost completely forgotten decades later, Page had one of the most unusual career arcs imaginable, going from regular employment at Hollywood's premiere studio during the Golden Age of movies to small parts in grubby, shot-on-video horror movies seven decades later.
- Birthplace: Flushing, New York, USA
- Slight, mild-mannered British character actor who played a host of lower-middle-class types, from the unctuous Uriah Heep in "David Copperfield" (1934) to the meek sales clerk invested with God-like powers in "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" (1936). His amiable diffidence enabled him to blithely play frustrated upper class types on occasion; Young is, for example, best known to American audiences for his starring roles as the worrisome banker in three of the "Topper" films (1937-41).
- Birthplace: London, England, UK
- Conchita Montenegro (San Sebastian, Spain, September 11, 1911 – Madrid, April 22, 2007) was a Spanish model, dancer, stage and screen actress. She was educated in a convent in Madrid.
- Birthplace: Spain, Donostia / San Sebastián
- Muzaffar Ahmad (27 March 1936 – 22 May 2012) was a Bangladeshi economist and an emeritus professor at the Institute of Business Administration of the University of Dhaka. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. He was also the Chairman of the Trustee Board of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). Ahmed was awarded the Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 2008.Ahmed was also associated with an organization called "Sushashoner Jonno Nagarik", popularly called "Sujon," which promotes good governance. He was also one of the most prominent environmentalists in Bangladesh.
- The delicately beautiful Binnie Barnes displayed a versatility and talent that was equally at home in comedies or dramas. While her heyday was primarily from the 1930s to the mid-50s, younger audiences may recall her as Sister Celestine in the genial romp "The Trouble With Angels" (1966) and its 1968 sequel "Where Angels Go... Trouble Follows" (The former was directed by Ida Lupino, whose father Stanley co-starred in several shorts with Barnes in the late 1920s.)
- Birthplace: Islington, London, England, UK
Mary Beth Hughes
Dec. at 75 (1919-1995)Mary Elizabeth Hughes (November 13, 1919 – August 27, 1995) was an American film, television, and stage actress best known for her roles in B movies.- Birthplace: USA, Alton, Illinois
- This dark, wide-eyed, stunningly handsome international lead of stage and screen in the 1920s and 30s later created an interesting gallery of offbeat character roles. Francis Lederer began his career as a theatrical apprentice in his native Prague after WWI service and eventually enjoyed considerable success acting in a number of theaters in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Germany. His work included a turn as Romeo in a production of "Romeo and Juliet" staged by the legendary Max Reinhardt. Lederer, initially known as Franz in his European films, made his mark in G.W. Pabst's famous "Pandora's Box" (1928) as a young man who, along with his father, becomes obsessed with the alluring and hedonistic femme fatale Lulu (Louise Brooks). Dashingly garbed in military costume, he also did quite well in the lush and poignant romantic drama "The Wonderful Lie of Nina Petrovna" (1929).
- Birthplace: Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
Lucille Lortel
Dec. at 98 (1900-1999)Lucille Lortel (December 16, 1900 – April 4, 1999) was an American actress, artistic director, and theatrical producer. In the course of her career Lortel produced or co-produced nearly 500 plays, five of which were nominated for Tony Awards: As Is by William M. Hoffman, Angels Fall by Lanford Wilson, Blood Knot by Athol Fugard, Mbongeni Ngema's Sarafina!, and A Walk in the Woods by Lee Blessing. She also produced Marc Blitzstein's adaptation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, a production which ran for seven years and according to The New York Times "caused such a sensation that it...put Off-Broadway on the map."- Birthplace: New York City, New York
Josef Swickard
Dec. at 73 (1866-1940)Josef Swickard was an actor who appeared in "You Can't Take It With You," "The Caryl of the Mountains," and "My American Wife."- Birthplace: Coblenz, Germany
- Kirk Alyn (born John Feggo Jr., October 8, 1910 – March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Superman in live-action for the 1948 movie serial Superman and its 1950 sequel Atom Man vs. Superman, as well as Blackhawk from the Blackhawk movie serial in 1952, and General Sam Lane in 1978's Superman: The Movie.
- Birthplace: Oxford, New Jersey, USA
- Adele Jergens was an American actress who appeared in "A Thousand and One Nights," "Ladies of the Chorus," and "Armored Car Robbery."
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- John Michael Evans (27 July 1920 – 4 September 2007) was an English actor best known for starring in the original 1951 Broadway production of Gigi with Audrey Hepburn, and later as Colonel Douglas Austin on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless.
- Birthplace: Sittingbourne, United Kingdom
- Josephine Elizabeth Butler (née Grey; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906) was an English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's suffrage, the right of women to better education, the end of coverture in British law, the abolition of child prostitution, and an end to human trafficking of young women and children into European prostitution. Grey grew up in a well-to-do and politically connected progressive family which helped develop in her a strong social conscience and firmly held religious ideals. She married George Butler, an Anglican divine and schoolmaster, and the couple had four children, the last of whom, Eva, died falling from a banister. The death was a turning point for Butler, and she focused her feelings on helping others, starting with the inhabitants of a local workhouse. She began to campaign for women's rights in British law. In 1869 she became involved in the campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts, legislation that attempted to control the spread of venereal diseases—particularly in the British Army and Royal Navy—through the forced medical examination of prostitutes, a process she described as surgical or steel rape. The campaign achieved its final success in 1886 with the repeal of the Acts. Butler also formed the International Abolitionist Federation, a Europe-wide organisation to combat similar systems on the continent. While investigating the effect of the Acts, Butler had been appalled that some of the prostitutes were as young as 12, and that there was a slave trade of young women and children from England to the continent for the purpose of prostitution. A campaign to combat the trafficking led to the removal from office of the head of the Belgian Police des Mœurs, and the trial and imprisonment of his deputy and 12 brothel owners, who were all involved in the trade. Butler fought child prostitution with help from the campaigning editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, William Thomas Stead, who purchased a 13-year-old girl from her mother for £5. The subsequent outcry led to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 which raised the age of consent from 13 to 16 and brought in measures to stop children becoming prostitutes. Her final campaign was in the late-1890s, against the Contagious Diseases Acts which continued to be implemented in the British Raj. Butler wrote more than 90 books and pamphlets over the course of her career, most of which were in support of her campaigning, although she also produced biographies of her father, her husband and Catherine of Siena. Butler's Christian feminism is celebrated by the Church of England with a Lesser Festival, and by representations of her in the stained glass windows of Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral and St Olave's Church in the City of London. Her name appears on the Reformers Memorial in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, and Durham University named one of their colleges after her. Her campaign strategies changed the way feminist and suffragists conducted future struggles, and her work brought into the political milieu groups of people that had never been active before. After her death in 1906 the feminist intellectual Millicent Fawcett hailed her as "the most distinguished Englishwoman of the nineteenth century".
- Birthplace: Northumberland, United Kingdom
- James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist. McKay is best known for hosting ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961–1998). His introduction for that program has passed into American pop culture, in which viewers were reminded of the show's mission ("Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports") and what lay ahead ("the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat"). He is also known for television coverage of 12 Olympic Games, and is universally respected for his memorable reporting on the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. McKay covered a wide variety of special events, including horse races such as the Kentucky Derby, golf events such as the British Open, and the Indianapolis 500. McKay's son, Sean McManus, a protégé of Roone Arledge, is the chairman of CBS Sports.
- Birthplace: USA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Alice Terry was an American actress who appeared in "Mare Nostrum," "The Magician," and "The Conquering Power."
- Birthplace: Vincennes, Indiana, USA
- George Mason IV (December 11, 1725 [O.S. November 30, 1725] – October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution. His writings, including substantial portions of the Fairfax Resolves of 1774, the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776, and his Objections to this Constitution of Government (1787) in opposition to ratification, have exercised a significant influence on American political thought and events. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, which Mason principally authored, served as a basis for the United States Bill of Rights, of which he has been deemed the father. Mason was born in 1725, most likely in what is now Fairfax County, Virginia. His father died when he was young, and his mother managed the family estates until he came of age. He married in 1750, built Gunston Hall, and lived the life of a country squire, supervising his lands, family, and slaves. He briefly served in the House of Burgesses and involved himself in community affairs, sometimes serving with his neighbor George Washington. As tensions grew between Britain and the American colonies, Mason came to support the colonial side, and used his knowledge and experience to help the revolutionary cause, finding ways to work around the Stamp Act of 1765 and serving in the pro-independence Fourth Virginia Convention in 1775 and the Fifth Virginia Convention in 1776. Mason prepared the first draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, and his words formed much of the text adopted by the final Revolutionary Virginia Convention. He also wrote a constitution for the state; Thomas Jefferson and others sought to have the convention adopt their ideas, but they found that Mason's version could not be stopped. During the American Revolutionary War, Mason was a member of the powerful House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly but, to the irritation of Washington and others, he refused to serve in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, citing health and family commitments. Mason was in 1787 named one of his state's delegates to the Constitutional Convention and traveled to Philadelphia, his only lengthy trip outside Virginia. Many clauses in the Constitution bear his stamp, as he was active in the convention for months before deciding that he could not sign it. He cited the lack of a bill of rights most prominently in his Objections, but also wanted an immediate end to the slave trade and a supermajority for navigation acts, which might force exporters of tobacco to use more expensive American ships. He failed to attain these objectives there, and again at the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788, but his prominent fight for a bill of rights led fellow Virginian James Madison to introduce one during the First Congress in 1789; these amendments were ratified in 1791, a year before Mason died. Obscure after his death, Mason has come to be recognized in the 20th and 21st centuries for his contributions both to the early United States and to Virginia.
- Birthplace: Virginia, USA
John Conte
Dec. at 90 (1915-2006)John Conte (September 15, 1915 – September 4, 2006) was a stage, film and TV actor, and television station owner.- Birthplace: Palmer, Massachusetts, USA
- Robin Evan Roberts (September 30, 1926 – May 6, 2010) was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who pitched primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies (1948–61). He spent the latter part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles (1962–65), Houston Astros (1965–66), and Chicago Cubs (1966). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
- Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois
Molly O'Day
Dec. at 87 (1911-1998)Molly O'Day (October 16, 1909 – October 15, 1998), born Suzanne Dobson Noonan, was an American film actress and the younger sister of Sally O'Neil.- Birthplace: Bayonne, USA, New Jersey
- A former editor and B-movie director who was elevated to auteur status in the 1960s by such noted critics as Paul Schrader and Jay Cocks, Joseph H Lewis began his film career as a camera loader during the infancy of the medium in the 20s. He joined the Poverty Row studio Mascot and rose to head of its editing department, receiving credit on such efforts as "Adventures of Rex and Rinty," "Ladies Crave Excitement" and "One Frightened Night" (all 1935). When Mascot and three other studios were combined to form Republic, Lewis remained as a supervising editor. Within two years, he had segued to the director's chair, sharing credit on the now forgettable programmer "Navy Spy" (1937). Lewis handled several of the studios musical Westerns with such stars as Bob Baker and Fuzzy Knight (e.g., "Singing Outlaw" 1938), Charles Starrett (i.e., "Blazing Six Shooters" 1940) and Johnny Mack Brown (e.g., "The Silver Bullet" 1942). Many contemporary reviewers of his work praised his direction and faulted the scripts he was forced to handle by the studios. Lewis proved capable of working in several genres helming everything from the dreadful sci-fi film "The Mad Doctor of Market Street" (1942) to the underrated musical "Minstrel Man" (1944).
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Lionel Aldridge (February 14, 1941 – February 12, 1998) was an American professional football player, a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons with the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers.
- Birthplace: Evergreen, Louisiana
- Though he enjoyed a nearly three-decade, award-winning career as a television director, a single film - 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause" - assured Corey Allen's lasting fame. Allen played Buzz Gunderson, the picture's smirking heel, whose bullying of James Dean's Jim Stark culminated in a lethal hot rod race. The film's iconic status ensured Allen work in later years, but he turned away from acting to direct and produce for television from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s, most notably on "Hill Street Blues" (NBC, 1981-87) and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (syndicated, 1987-1994). Allen's passing in 2010 was mourned by "Rebel" fans who paid tribute to one of the last surviving cast members of that defining youth culture film.
- Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal. Hillary became interested in mountaineering while in secondary school. He made his first major climb in 1939, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier. He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II. Prior to the Everest expedition, Hillary had been part of the British reconnaissance expedition to the mountain in 1951 as well as an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho Oyu in 1952. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition he reached the South Pole overland in 1958. He subsequently reached the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and summit Everest. Following his ascent of Everest, Hillary devoted himself to assisting the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he established. His efforts are credited with the construction of many schools and hospitals in Nepal. Hillary had numerous honours conferred upon him, including the Order of the Garter in 1995. Upon his death in 2008, he was given a state funeral in New Zealand.
- Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Abdul Latif Sharif
Dec. at 59 (1947-2006)Abdul Latif Sharif, first name also spelled Abdel (September 19, 1947 – June 1, 2006), was an Egyptian-born American chemist and chief suspect in the Juárez killings, a decade-long murder spree that began in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez in the early 1990s.- Birthplace: Egypt
- Dallas McKennon was an American actor who appeared in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "101 Dalmatians," and "Tom Thumb."
- Birthplace: La Grande, Oregon, USA
- Reportedly born in Reidsville, Georgia, Clinton D. Powell grew up in Savannah, where he graduated from Alfred E. Beach High School and participated in the Upward Bound Program at Savannah State University. He later studied at both Tuskegee University in Alabama and again at Savannah State. He is one of he most popular spoken word artists and creative arts advocates to come out of Savannah, Georgia.
- Birthplace: Reidsville, Georgia
- Kaneto Shindo (新藤 兼人, Shindō Kaneto, April 22, 1912 – May 29, 2012) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and author. He directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note. His scripts were filmed by such directors as Kon Ichikawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Fumio Kamei and Tadashi Imai. Shindo was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, and he made several films about Hiroshima and the atomic bomb. Like his early mentor Kenji Mizoguchi, many of his films feature strong female characters. He was a pioneer of independent film production in Japan, founding a company called Kindai Eiga Kyokai. He continued working as a scriptwriter, director and author until his death at the age of 100. Shindo made a series of autobiographical films, beginning with the first film he directed, 1951's Story of a Beloved Wife, about his struggle to become a screenwriter, through 1986's Tree Without Leaves, about his childhood, born into a wealthy family which became destitute, 2000's By Player, about his film company, seen through the eyes of his friend Taiji Tonoyama, and his last film, Postcard, directed at the age of 98, loosely based on his military service.
- Birthplace: Saeki District, Hiroshima
- Gene Fowler Jr. (27 May 1917 – 11 May 1998), the eldest son of journalist and author Gene Fowler, was a prominent Hollywood film editor. His work included films of Fritz Lang and Samuel Fuller and movies like Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), John Cassavetes' A Child Is Waiting (1963) and Hang 'Em High (1968). He was also the director of feature films as well as numerous television programs. While the majority of his directorial work is regarded as minor efforts (Leonard Maltin lists only three of his seven features in his compendium), two of his films, I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) and I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958), have gained some critical attention in retrospect.Gene Fowler Jr. was married to film editor Marjorie Fowler from 1944 until his death. He died in Woodland Hills, California of natural causes. His brother Will Fowler (1922–2004) was a Hollywood screenwriter.
- Birthplace: Denver, Colorado
- Hisaya Morishige (森繁久彌, Morishige Hisaya, May 4, 1913 – November 10, 2009) was a Japanese actor and comedian. Born in Hirakata, Osaka, he graduated from Kitano Middle School (now Kitano High School), and attended Waseda University. He began his career as a stage actor, then became an announcer for NHK, working in Manchukuo. He became famous in films first for comedy roles, appearing in series such as the "Company President" (Shacho) and "Station Front" (Ekimae) series, produced by Toho. He appeared in nearly 250 films, both contemporary and jidaigeki. He was also famous on stage playing Tevye in the Japanese version of Fiddler on the Roof. He also appeared in television series and specials, and was the first guest on the television talk show Tetsuko's Room in 1975. He was long-time head of the Japan Actors Union. Among many honors, Morishige received the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan in 1991. Hisaya Morishige died of natural causes at a hospital in Tokyo at 8:16 A.M. on November 10, 2009, at the age of 96.
- Birthplace: Hirakata, Japan
George Waggner
Dec. at 90 (1894-1984)Began his career as a silent film actor, became a songwriter with the advent of sound and moved into screenwriting and directing in the 1930s. Probably best known for "The Wolf Man" (1941), Waggner also directed TV shows into the 60s, including "77 Sunset Strip," "The Untouchables" and "Batman."- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Durable art director whose early career included several collaborations with Douglas Sirk ("Mystery Submarine" 1950, "Weekend With Father" 1951, etc.). Boyle's later work has ranged from the ominous trappings of J. Lee Thompson's "Cape Fear" (1962) and Hitchcock's "The Birds" (1963) and "Marnie" (1964) to the untroubled decor of "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989).
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Roy Huggins
Dec. at 87 (1914-2002)Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 – April 3, 2002) was an American novelist and an influential writer/creator and producer of character-driven television series, including Maverick, The Fugitive, and The Rockford Files. A noted writer and producer using his own name, much of his later television scriptwriting was done using the pseudonyms Thomas Fitzroy, John Thomas James, and John Francis O'Mara.- Birthplace: Washington
- Grace Bradley was an American actress who appeared in "The Big Broadcast of 1938," "Stolen Harmony," and "F-Man."
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Veteran British director who crafted several fine films in the 1950s, notably the superior tale of the Titanic, "A Night to Remember" (1958). A superior stylist who uses imaginative editing to heighten suspense, Baker hit a critical peak in the 1960s with such varied fare as the offbeat western "The Singer Not the Song" (1960) and the sci-fi favorite, "Quatermass and the Pit" (1967). He turned to TV in the mid-1960s, directing episodes of "Danger Man," "The Saint" and "The Avengers."
- Birthplace: London, England, UK
Tullio Pinelli
Dec. at 100 (1908-2009)Tullio Pinelli (24 June 1908 – 7 March 2009) was an Italian screenwriter best known for his work on the Federico Fellini classics I Vitelloni, La Strada, La Dolce Vita and 8½.- Birthplace: Turin, Italy
- Jeffrey Lynn (born Ragnar Godfrey Lind; February 16, 1909 – November 24, 1995) was an American stage-screen actor and film producer who worked primarily through the Golden Age of Hollywood establishing himself as one of the premier talents of his time. Throughout his acting career, both on stage and in film, he was typecast as "the attractive, reliable love interest of the heroine," or "the tall, stalwart hero."Born and raised in Massachusetts, he attended Bates College, before working as a teacher. He was tapped to act in his first film in 1938, which convinced him to move to Hollywood, California. His second film–Four Daughters (1938)–propelled him into national fame sparking two sequels: Four Wives (1939) and Four Mothers (1941), with Lynn reprising his role in each of them, along with Daughters Courageous (1939), which included the same cast but had a different storyline. He was at the center of the Gone with the Wind (1939) screening controversy; he was noted as the top contender to play Ashley Wilkes, however, the director eventually chose Leslie Howard instead. Lynn was asked to join James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart in The Roaring Twenties (1939), a gangster noir that garnered him critical praise. His success continued with such films as The Fighting 69th (1940) in which he portrayed poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer opposite Cagney, It All Came True (1940), All This, and Heaven Too (1940) and Million Dollar Baby (1941). His movie career was put on hold for World War II draft, where he received a Bronze Star for his service as a in Italy and Austria as a combat intelligence captain. He returned to the screen in 1948 and was in the notably successful A Letter to Three Wives (1949), which went on to be nominated for best picture in the 1950 prime time Academy Awards. A year later he joined that cast of Home Town Story (1951) billed alongside Marilyn Monroe. His later film career credits include: BUtterfield 8 (1960) along with Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey, and Tony Rome (1967) with Frank Sinatra. Lynn also began to act on Broadway and was featured in such plays as Any Wednesday (1966) and Dinner at Eight (1967). Later on in his career he found mixed critical success television starring in hit shows such as Robert Montgomery Presents, Your Show of Shows, My Son Jeep (with young Martin Huston), and Lux Video Theatre. He died in November 1995 in Burbank, California from natural causes and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. Actor Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is named in honor of Jeffrey Lynn.
- Birthplace: Auburn, Massachusetts, USA
- Alexandre Trauner (as Sándor Trau on 3 August 1906 in Budapest, Hungary – 5 December 1993 in Omonville-la-Petite, France) was a production designer. After studying painting at Hungarian Royal Drawing School, he emigrated to Paris in 1929, where he became the assistant of set designer Lazare Meerson, working on such films as À nous la liberté (1932) and La Kermesse héroïque (1935). In 1937, he became a chief set designer.He worked on the majority of Marcel Carné's films, including Quai des brumes (1938), Le Jour se lève (1939), and Les Enfants du paradis (1945). He designed sets for Witness for the Prosecution (1957) directed by Billy Wilder and other Wilder films, John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Joseph Losey's Don Giovanni (1979), Luc Besson's Subway (1985). In 1980, he was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.
- Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
- William Steig was a writer who was known for writing "Shrek," "Shrek 2," and "Shrek the Third."
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget, understated genre movies with controversial themes, often made outside the conventional studio system. Fuller wrote his first screenplay for Hats Off in 1936, and made his directorial debut with the Western I Shot Jesse James (1949). He would continue to direct several other Westerns and war thrillers throughout the 1950s. Fuller shifted from Westerns and war thrillers in the 1960s with his low-budget thriller Shock Corridor in 1963, followed by the neo-noir The Naked Kiss (1964). He was inactive in filmmaking for most of the 1970s, before writing and directing the war epic The Big Red One (1980), and the experimental White Dog (1982), whose screenplay he co-wrote with Curtis Hanson.
- Birthplace: Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- William Lindsey Erwin (December 2, 1914 – December 29, 2010) was an American film, television and stage actor and cartoonist with over 250 television and film credits. A veteran character actor, he is widely known for his 1993 Emmy Award-nominated performance on Seinfeld, portraying the embittered, irascible retiree Sid Fields. He also made notable appearances on shows such as I Love Lucy and Star Trek: The Next Generation. In cinema, his most recognized role is that of Arthur, a kindly bellhop at the Mackinac Island Grand Hotel, in Somewhere in Time (1980).Erwin was a self-taught cartoonist, published in The New Yorker, Playboy, and Los Angeles. He won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, four Drama-Logue Awards, Gilmore Brown Award for Career Achievement, Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters' Diamond Circle Award, and Distinguished Alumnus Award from Angelo State University.
- Birthplace: Honey Grove, Texas, USA
- Maurice Duruflé (French: [dyʁyfle]; 11 January 1902 – 16 June 1986) was a French composer, organist, and teacher.
- Birthplace: Louviers, France
- Paul Fussell, Jr. (22 March 1924 – 23 May 2012) was an American cultural and literary historian, author and university professor. His writings cover a variety of topics, from scholarly works on eighteenth-century English literature to commentary on America's class system. Fussell served in the 103rd Infantry Division during World War II and was wounded in fighting in France. Returning to the US, Fussell wrote extensively and held several faculty positions, most prominently at Rutgers University (1955-1983) and at the University of Pennsylvania (1983-1994). He is best known for his writings about World War I and II, which explore what he felt was the gap between the romantic myth and reality of war; he made a "career out of refusing to disguise it or elevate it".
- Birthplace: Pasadena, California
- Beverly Archer is an American actress who appeared in "The Young and the Restless," "Mama's Family," and "The Brady Bunch Movie."
- Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, USA
- Tristram Ogilvie Cary, OAM (14 May 1925 – 24 April 2008), was a pioneering English-Australian composer. He was also active as a teacher and music critic.
- Birthplace: Oxford, United Kingdom
- Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 1917 – 23 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with four Ivor Novello awards and the Order of Canada.
- Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
- May Robson was an actress who had a successful Hollywood career. Robson's earliest roles were in film, including "Pals in Paradise" (1926), "Rubber Tires" (1927) with Bessie Love and the H. B. Warner drama "King of Kings" (1927). She also appeared in the dramatic adaptation "Chicago" (1928) with Phyllis Haver, "Little Orphan Annie" (1932) and the dramedy "If I Had a Million" (1932) with Gary Cooper. She continued to act in productions like "Reunion in Vienna" (1933) with John Barrymore, "One Man's Journey" (1933) and the Helen Hayes drama "The White Sister" (1933). She also appeared in "Lady By Choice" (1934). In the latter part of her career, she continued to act in the Randolph Scott romance "The Texans" (1938), the Tommy Kelly adventure "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938) and "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939). She also appeared in the comedy "The Kid From Kokomo" (1939) with Pat O'Brien and "Nurse Edith Cavell" (1939) with Anna Neagle. Robson more recently acted in the drama "Joan of Paris" (1942) with Michèle Morgan. Robson passed away in October 1942 at the age of 84.
- Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Ramasamy Ganesan (16 November 1919 – 21 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian film actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was nicknamed "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) for the romantic roles he played in films. Ganesan was one the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two being M. G. Ramachandran (known by his initials as MGR) and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in films with drama, and MGR dominated films with fight sequences, Gemini Ganesan held his own with sensitive portrayals of the yearning lover. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including the "Kalaimamani", the "MGR Gold Medal" and the "Screen Lifetime Achievement Award". He came from an intercaste family, and was one of the few graduates to enter the film industry at that time.Gemini Ganesan made his debut with Miss Malini in 1947, but was noticed only after playing the villain in Thai Ullam in 1953. After playing the lead role in Manam Pola Mangalyam (1954), he finally acquired star status. However, unlike Sivaji Ganesan or MGR, Gemini Ganesan was not originally a stage performer, and was never involved in politics. In his long film career spanning over five decades, Ganesan acted in more than 200 films, mainly in Tamil cinema, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada. His performances on the screen were enhanced by successful playback singers such as A. M. Rajah and P. B. Sreenivas. In spite of his celebrated film career, Ganesan's personal life, particularly his marriages to multiple women over the years, has often been a subject of criticism. He married South India's great actress Savitri(also known as Mahanati) and they had a daughter (named:Vijaya Chamundeswari) and a son(Sathishkrishna). He won two Filmfare Awards.
- Birthplace: Pudukkottai, India
Keith Waterhouse
Dec. at 80 (1929-2009)Keith Spencer Waterhouse (6 February 1929 – 4 September 2009) was a British novelist and newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.- Birthplace: United Kingdom
- Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of Commedia all'italiana. He was born in Milan.
- Birthplace: Milan, Italy
